Closure
by krzed
Summary: After three years, Adrien has the girl of his dreams, but will she still love him when she learns his father is a supervillain? After three years, Marinette thought she was over Adrien, but will a chance encounter and an umbrella prove her wrong?
1. An Arrest and an Umbrella

Three years since she found a little black box that changed her destiny forever. Three years since she met the partner that would become part of that destiny. Three years since she met the man that had captured her heart. Eighteen months since she gave up her one-sided obsession with one of them and confessed her feelings for the other. A year since they promised to reveal their identities to each other once their mission was finished. Three days since they discovered Hawkmoth's lair. Four hours since they first confronted him. Ten minutes since police led Gabriel Agreste away in cuffs.

Flames from an abandoned observatory futilely reached for the stars. Arcs of white water cut through the black sky, and when the firefighters eventually quelled the blaze, they would discover a winding passageway leading back to the Agreste mansion, however the most damning evidence was likely already uploaded to the Ladyblog. The last hour of the battle took place in the streets, and when Ladybug herself tore the Butterfly Miraculous from Hawkmoth's collar, every smartphone on the street captured footage of Gabriel Agreste emerging from behind the silver mask. Most expected him to run, some expected him to fight, but the moment the lavender light around him faded, he dropped to his knees, and there in the streets he remained until Roger Raincomprix himself took the former fashion mogul into custody.

Ladybug sat on a rooftop far from the inferno, though she could still feel the heat on her cheeks, smell the acrid smoke that she would have to wash out of her hair tonight. Her fingertips found the rip in her suit, just over her heart, where Hawkmoth's cane had almost impaled her, and though her powers had almost healed the wound, she still brought her hand away with blood on her fingers. That was the reason the observatory was in flames. Well, more so Chat's reaction to the wound. His rage-fueled Cataclysm had literally detonated in the confined space. He sat beside her, his expression neutral, unreadable. Ladybug thought she knew him after three years of partnership and nearly two years of a relationship, but she had no idea what currently ran through his mind.

"Shouldn't..." he started. "Shouldn't you fix this? It would only take a moment." Even the tone of his voice was alarmingly even. No swagger, no sarcasm.

She shook her head and her remaining pigtail bobbed as she did, the ribbon holding the other pulled out during the battle. "The firefighters told me not to worry about it. The chief's exact words were, 'You've done more than enough for this city. Let us handle it.' Goodness knows I want to, but..."

"You're exhausted."

"We both are." He nodded. She sighed and whispered, "I can't imagine what's going through Adrien's mind right now." In her fatigued state, she failed to remember that Chat could hear almost anything with his enhanced feline senses, just as she failed to notice Chat flinch at her musing. She did notice when he wrenched himself away after she attempted to rest her head on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I...think I pulled a muscle during the fight," he lied, though Ladybug would never know it. "We should both get home. If we've ever earned a night's rest, it's now." He stood, his back to his Lady, unable to meet her eye.

She reluctantly nodded and stood. As much as she needed his presence right now, they both needed rest more. "Sleep well, c _haton._ I love you."

He was almost to the edge of the roof, his hand on his baton, when her words jerked him to a halt. The words that normally warmed his heart now drove a stake through it. _'Would you still love me if you knew?'_ He forced a smile to his face and turned. "Ah, to sleep. _Purr_ -chance to dream." He hoped the pun would distract her from the unevenness of his voice, the fraudulence of his smile...the crushing irony that he had quoted Hamlet's suicide soliloquy. It worked, as she returned the smile. "I love you as well, my Lady." The clink of steel against brick and the hum of yoyo wire signaled their parting.

(#)

Three years since he found a little black box that offered him the freedom he so craved. Three years since he met the love of his life. Eighteen months since his patience paid off and his Lady finally returned his affections. A year since she promised to take off her mask once they had retrieved the Butterfly Miraculous. Four days since they discovered Hawkmoth's lair. Almost a day since they first confronted him. Fourteen sleepless hours since police cuffed his father. Thirty seconds since he realized just what Paris thought of Adrien Agreste.

The power of Adrien's ring enhanced his senses, with or without the mask, and though Chat Noir's hearing was far sharper than Adrien's ever would be, the model – _former_ model, though he couldn't find joy in the fact – could still hear the waitresses behind him arguing.

"I'm not taking him. You take him."

"No way, you take him."

"What's the big deal? Who is that?"

"You don't know? That's Adrien Agreste. Hawkmoth's son."

Adrien stood and slammed his hands on the table a little harder than he intended. Every soul in the cafe recoiled as though they expected purple butterflies to flood from beneath his leather coat. He tossed a few euros on the table and walked outside. Rainfall pattered at his brow for but a few seconds until he flicked his umbrella open and trudged to the west. He kept the canopy low to cover his face, but years of modeling had made him as recognizable as Président Hollande or Ronald McDonald. There was no mistaking Adrien Agreste. Son of a supervillain.

People crossed the street to avoid him. Parents pulled their children closer. His grip tightened on the umbrella to the point he worried he may shatter the handle. He found himself on the Pont des Arts, his footfalls heavy on the wooden planks of the bridge. He held out a hand and allowed his fingers to strum along the multitude of locks attached to the grate, his eyes never leaving the path ahead of him. He could hear people giving him a wide berth. He could feel the thump of their steps echo through his feet and through the hand he now braced on the railing. They feared him, just as they had feared Hawkmoth. His _father_.

 _'I'm not like him.'_

Was his bad luck finally catching up with him? Was Ladybug among the eyes that looked on him with fear? Was she behind him _right now?_

 _' **I'm not like him.'**_

Though he didn't know it at the time, his father had brought them together. Would he also be the one to tear them apart? So many unanswered question buzzed in his mind. He heard footsteps approach, followed by a gasp, then footsteps in the opposite direction at a much quicker pace. Tears stung his eyes. The persistent whine in his ears from the explosion he caused overloaded his senses.

" _I'm not like him!"_

All movement on the bridge ceased. It took him a few seconds to realize he'd actually shouted those words. By that time, not a soul remained on the bridge, save for one at the far end that had not heard his outburst. He let loose a ragged sigh. It didn't matter what he said, what he believed. Paris had made up her mind. He was a monster, just like his father. Avatar of chaos, destruction, and bad luck.

A sudden gust kicked up his hair, threatened to rip the umbrella from his hands, and from his right, he heard a familiar voice. "Shit shit shit shit shit shit!" Each swear punctuated by a footfall. A rogue umbrella passed before him and settled into the Seine below. A shock of midnight blue hair entered his field of vision, and Marinette leaned over the railing next to him, still swearing after the lost umbrella.

"Nononononono! Dammit!" she huffed. She stomped her foot and adjusted the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder. Without even looking up at him, she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and said, "Sorry about that. That umbrella is really special to me and..."

"It's okay, Marinette," Adrien offered.

She finally looked up, and Adrien couldn't tell if it was the cold wind or a blush that reddened her face. "A-Adrien? Oh, h-hi. I seedn't did you, youdn't, uh _didn't_ , did-didn't see you there. How a-are you?" She straightened up and waved her hand at him. "I-I mean, of course you aren't doing well all things considered, but you don't need me to remind you about all that. No one is more aware of what happened than you and I–" she drew out the letter "–am going to shut up now." She pursed her lips, her eyes filled with worry. Adrien smiled another one of his signature model smiles that never reached his eyes.

"Again, it's okay, Marinette. I'm just glad someone's talking to me without..." _'Without comparing me to my father'_ he wanted to say. The police this morning, the waitresses, even Nathalie kept their interactions more brief than usual. The smile faded. He turned away from her and cast his eyes back out to the river.

"Adrien, you're nothing like your father. " She read his mind. He felt a warm hand on his arm, the first kind gesture anyone had offered him all day. "People are just scared and looking for someone to blame."

"Then they can blame him."

"But they can't get to him in prison. They want a convenient solution. And unfortunately, they're going after you, and that isn't fair!" Her angered tone surprised him, especially when she jerked her hand away and turned her own eyes to the river. "If anyone out there knew you half as well as Nino, Alya," the blushed returned, "o-or me, they'd know that you're not a villain! You're kind and gentle and honest a-and loyal..."

"But will my La...girlfriend think the same way?"

She paused, then in a voice Adrien could barely hear over the wind, even with his enhanced senses, "I-is that what you're really worried about?"

A moment passed before he remembered just how touchy of a subject this was for her. She used to have a crush on him, 'used to' being the operative term. It took him almost a year to realize it and Nino never let him live down just how oblivious he could be, but she was over him now. She had a boyfriend, he had a girlfriend, and they had both moved on. However, every once in a while, she would slip and say or do something that implied she may still carry a torch for him.

"Sh-she doesn't know Hawk...about my father. She doesn't know I'm an Agreste." She quirked an eyebrow and he lied, "I've kept quiet about the whole modeling thing. I wanted her to fall in love with _me_ , not the image my father wanted the world to see." He leaned forward across the railing. "I'm...afraid. Hawkmoth has hurt her before. She has every reason to hate him, and I'm scared that because of him..."

"Stop." That single word paused every thought in Adrien's mind. She said it with such force, such ferocity, but also with such care. Her head was tilted down, her bangs fallen around her eyes. "If she's that petty, if she can't love the wonderful man you are, then she doesn't deserve you." She turned back to him. "Look at me, Adrien." He looked down at her, and for a split second, he swore he was looking into his Lady's eyes. Those pools of blue flooded with passion, determination, and love. "You are not your father, and you deserve someone who can see that. You're a good person, and don't you _dare_ –" she jabbed a finger into his chest "–let anyone tell you otherwise."

Adrien hadn't worn a genuine smile on his face since before he and Ladybug confronted Haw...his father, but somehow, this feisty, clumsy girl had brought one out of him. "Is that a direct order, Mari?"

She matched his smile and planted her fists on her hips. "You're damn right, Agreste."

The two glared at each other, both daring the other to break. Adrien broke first, a chuckle in his chest evolving into hearty laughter. Marinette's giggles joined him soon after and the pair stood on the bridge, in the middle of the rain, laughing like idiots. Adrien needed this. He needed a laugh.

No, he needed a friend. Maybe his luck wasn't so bad if fate had delivered him one.

"What did I do to deserve a friend like you, Mari?"

"Just being you," she sighed, her gaze locked on his. Her smile fell flat and she averted her gaze, the blush back with a vengeance. She had slipped again.

Okay, time to change the subject and avoid any unwanted awkwardness. "So, uh, enough about me and my problems, Mari. How have you been?"

Her tension melted away. "Other than losing my lucky umbrella," she grumbled through gritted teeth, "just fine."

"What was so special about that umbrella?"

She fidgeted with the strap on her shoulder. "You should know. Y-you gave it to me when you apologized f-for the 'chewing gum' incident."

Adrien's eyebrows reached for his hairline. "You kept it? After all these years?"

She nodded. "When you gave it to me, that was when I..." _'When I fell in love with you,'_ he could hear her say. "But you know, it's probably for the best. N-not that I've had trouble moving on or anything, i-it just didn't feel right to throw it out. I mean, it's a perfectly good umbrella, and it was a gift and I didn't want to get rid of a gift, and oh god I'm rambling again."

Adrien smiled again. "Well, it won't do for you to walk around in this rain without an umbrella. And so, as an apology for the 'griping about my problems' thing..."

(#)

Three years since she fell in love with Adrien Agreste. Two years since she realized he would never love her the way she loved him. Two years since she tore every picture of Adrien from her walls, threw out his schedule, and crumpled up the Valentine poem. Five minutes since she had lost the one part of Adrien she couldn't bear to part with. And ten seconds...

Ten seconds since she realized she had never gotten over him.

She was fifteen again. A soft rain fell across the city.

 _No._

The new kid apologized for a misunderstanding, and though he knew she had every right to hate him, he still offered his umbrella to her.

 _No!_

The rain pattered across the canopy of Adrien's umbrella. His green eyes glimmered in the daylight dimmed by storm clouds. His gentle smiled warmed his face.

 _Marinette, no!_

And now, three years later, the exact same scene played out around her. Yes, his eyes were reddened by unbidden tears, and he stood almost a head taller than her, but Marinette saw the same kindness and sincerity on his eyes she had seen back then. She closed her eyes and tried to shake the feelings out of her head. She had a boyfriend! He had a girlfriend! It wasn't right!

"Marinette, what's wrong?"

 _'What wrong? What's wrong!? What's wrong is that I didn't do this sooner!'_

She didn't know how it happened. Well, she did, but she didn't know how she _allowed_ it to happen. She pushed herself up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gently placed her lips against his. An energy sparked between them, somehow simultaneously new and familiar. A voice in her mind screamed that she was betraying Chat by doing this, but the sensation of Adrien's lips on hers silenced it. It was only a kiss. It didn't mean anything. Except right now, it meant _everything_. She had wanted to do this for three years. She admitted that now.

She had never stopped loving Adrien.

She felt his arm snake around her waist, pull her closer, beckon her to deepen the kiss. Ironic that the gesture only served to end it. She pulled away and looked to his eyes, expecting anger but only finding disappointment, though not in her. Disappointment that the kiss had to end.

She shook her head again. "We shouldn't have done that." She brought the heel of her palm to her eye and shoved the tears away. " _I_ shouldn't have done that," she amended. "Y-you have a girlfriend and I..." She looked back up at him.

Marinette's feet pounded away at the stairs leading up to her room before she came back to her senses. She ignored the worried cries her parents called up behind her and shut the trapdoor, throwing herself onto her chaise. Tikki fluttered about her head, offering calm, assuring words, but it wasn't enough. She needed someone else to talk to. Her thumb found Alya's number in her phone, and thankfully the device rung only twice before the blogger picked up.

"Hey girl! What's..." she paused when she heard light sobbing over the line. "Marinette, what's wrong?"

"Alya, I fucked up."

"Girl, what did you do? Talk to me!"

Marinette paused. If she said it out loud, it became real. If she spoke those words, she could no longer deny her feelings. "I...I..."

"I'm still in love with Adrien." She wept.


	2. A Best Friend and a Prison

Three years since she met her best friend and started a blog dedicated to the greatest superhero ever. Two years since she helped said friend clean every trace of her crush from her room. Eighteen months since she announced on her blog that the SS LadyNoir had finally set sail. Sixteen months since she accidentally found out her best friend and her hero were the same person. A day since she felt her heart clench at the idea of her best friend going off to fight Hawkmoth. A half hour since her best friend called her in tears.

Alya sat beside Marinette on the chaise. The tears had come and gone, which left the designer hunched over, elbows on her knees, Alya working her palm up and down her friend's back. She didn't know what to do, what to say. What _do_ you say about something like this? Alya had never been in love with anyone other than Nino. Maybe a dream or two about Ladybug (which Marinette must NEVER know about), but none of her experiences could help her untangle the super-powered love triangle that tore the girl apart. Still, her best friend was in pain, and she had to do something.

"Do you...do you still love Chat?" The obvious question.

Marinette didn't answer immediately, an answer in itself. She sniffed. "I don't know. I-I want to say yes, but I don't know. There's this...stupid, cynical part of myself that has me convinced I just _used_ Chat to get my mind off of Adrien."

Alya dipped her head down and attempted to capture Marinette's gaze. "You know, you never told me why you decided to give up on Adrien."

Marinette wiped her sleeves across her eyes and continued to stare at nothing. "I rescued him from an Akuma about two years ago. I...I'd been around him as Ladybug before, but this time was different. He looked at me, at Ladybug, the same way I used to look at him. Soft sighs, stars in his eyes, he even stammered and stuttered around me like I did around him. I asked him why and...he confessed to me."

Alya furrowed her brow. "Wait, you decided to get over Adrien because he fell in love with you?"

"He fell in love with Ladybug, Alya."

"Girl, I hate to break it to you, but you kinda _are_ Ladybug." Marinette opened her mouth, but Alya pressed a finger against the girl's lips. "And don't you start on that whole 'but Alya, my mask makes me act different' spiel. You didn't become class rep by tripping over your own feet. You didn't put Chloé in her place time after time by being a stuttering half-wit. You're more like Ladybug than you give yourself credit."

Marinette shook her head. "But if we're that similar, wouldn't Adrien have noticed that I _am_ Ladybug?"

Alya pulled herself off the chaise and took a knee to look the girl directly in the eyes. "Do you know how many hours I sat next to you in class? Do you know how many hoursof footage I have of you on my blog? Do you know how many hours I spent pouring over said footage trying to figure out your identity?" Marinette only stared. "And do you know how big of a 'duh' moment I had when I accidentally saw you transform in the library? I'm closer to you, both sides of you, than Adrien ever was and I never saw it coming, but after that, it's like...I couldn't believe I _didn't_ see it coming. Maybe it's not so much that he didn't see it, or wouldn't see it, but–" she shrugged "–maybe he _couldn't_ see it."

"She's right, Marinette," Tikki spoke from her chosen's shoulder. "Unless you transform in front of someone or explicitly reveal your identity, the magic of the Miraculous prevents people from figuring it out. It's possible Adrien entertained the idea of you being Ladybug, but the magic made him dismiss it."

Marinette pulled a tissue from the box beside her and dabbed at her face. "It doesn't matter. All the time he spent around Marinette and he still chose the unattainable superhero."

"So, when does Chat Noir come in?" Alya asked as she slid back onto the chaise.

She sniffed. "A couple nights later, Chat found me, Ladybug, crying. He stayed with me all night, just holding me and comforting me. He never asked for an explanation, never tried to get me to talk. He was just...there for me." Another sniff, a cough. "I eventually explained things to him. I told him that this guy I was crushing on chose Ladybug over me, and I took it really hard, because it seemed like no one cared about the girl behind the mask.

"He didn't speak for the rest of the night. He just held me, stroked my hair, and let me cry into his shoulder. On our next patrol, a couple days later, he..." She laughed, more of a hoarse cough, but a laugh nonetheless. "He actually apologized to me. Said he was just as guilty of claiming to love me when he knew nothing about me. He asked me if we could spend some time after patrols just talking, really getting to know each other. Nothing that could compromise our identities, just stuff like our hobbies, interests, favorite music, movies..." She actually giggled this time. "The nerd even asked me what my favorite Eeveelution was."

"Sylveon." Alya knew her friend. "And his was Umbreon."

"Jolteon, actually." Alya's brow raised. "Yeah, surprised me too. But what really surprised me was when he toned down the flirting. He still threw around the odd compliment, but he stopped blatantly hitting on me. He...sincerely wanted to know me. Not just a name or a face, but _me_."

She smiled. "I still remember the moment I fell for him. Months later, we'd fought this Akuma, Chloé had insulted this girl's make-up or something, and she had _so_ many make-up accessories on her," she ticked off the items on her fingers, "lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, concealer. I had to break damn near everything she had to find the butterfly. It took _hours_ and I didn't feel up to patrol that night. Chat promised me that if I met him for patrol, he'd have something special waiting for me." Alya tilted her head and raised her brow.

"Triple chocolate macadamia cookies from my parents' bakery. I mentioned them in passing months before, but he still remembered they were my favorite guilty pleasure." She smiled. "He cared about me enough to remember something that small, that insignificant."

"Wasn't insignificant to him."

"That's exactly what he said. He even had two small bottles of milk with him. He was halfway through some 'cat in the cream' pun when I..." Marinette lifted her fingers to her lips. "I kissed him." She hugged her arms around herself. "He's always been there for me, Alya. Always cared about me. He's my partner. One of my best friends. I trust him completely, and I...I don't want to think about what my life would be without him."

"Girl, it sounds to me like you genuinely love that cat."

Marinette's shoulders slumped. "I know, Alya, that's why it bothers me how easy it was to kiss Adrien. How it felt so... _right,_ when it shouldn't have." She pressed her hands to her face and fell backwards across the chaise. Tikki flitted upwards to avoid falling off. "I was cheating on Chat, but I didn't care. The only explanation is that I never loved Chat to begin with, and I was just using him as a substitute for Adrien."

Alya rubbed Marinette's thigh and offered a smile. "Things would be a lot easier if Adrien _was_ Chat Noir, right?"

Marinette sat up so fast Alya had to nearly jump out of the way before the girl's forehead could crack into her nose. " _Alya!_ There's...there's _no! Way!_ Adrien and Chat Noir are the same person!"

Alya smirked. "And you're reasoning is...?"

Marinette pushed herself to her feet and paced the room. "There's just no way! Chat is flirty, an absolute nerd, he loves puns and horrible jokes, and Adrien..." She smiled. "He's a gentleman. He's intelligent, witty, kind..."

"Wow, girl," Alya chuckled, "you must not have paid _any_ attention to Adrien after you 'got over him'," she curled her fingers into air quotes, "Mr. Hot Stuff loves him some puns."

Marinette scowled at Alya. "I can't believe you still remember that 'Hot Stuff' thing."

"I'm just saying, we've never met Adrien's mysterious girlfriend, you just confirmed she doesn't know his name, and didn't you say Chat was acting weird after you guys beat Hawkmoth? Almost like, oh I don't know, _he just found out his dad was a supervillain?_ "

Marinette's mind buzzed. Could it be? Was Adrien...no. He couldn't be. But the more she thought about it, the more Alya made sense. If memory served, he even announced that he had a girlfriend the day after Ladybug kissed... No! There was no way her blond-haired, green-eyed boyfriend was the blond-haired, green-eyed...guy she just kissed...whose lips felt so familiar...as though she had kissed them before...whose hand had slipped around her waist the same way Chat's slid around Ladybug's...just over the hips with his pinky brushing the crest of her backside...then that gentle press against the small of her back to pull her closer and deepen the kiss...

"No! He...he just can't!"

Alya stood and placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Didn't we just establish that some magical Miraculous bullshit would keep you from putting two and two together?" She tapped a finger to her chin. "How did Tikki put it? Make you dismiss it? And honey, you are dismissing the hell out of it."

Marinette looked down at Alya's hand, then to her eyes. She sighed. "The two guys I'm in love with, the same person? Come on, Alya. Not even _I'm_ that lucky." She shrugged off the hand and fell into her desk chair. "Chat and I are taking the masks off in a few days, so I guess I'll know soon enough."

(#)

Seven years since he lost his wife. Five years since he found the book among her effects and became obsessed with the lore of the Miraculous. Four years since he poured a substantial amount of his fortune into searching every auction house, antique shop, and jewelry store in the world for what he desired. Three years since he found the next best thing and donned the persona of Hawkmoth. Twenty-four hours since he failed and police took him into custody. Five minutes since they told him he had a visitor.

Adrien sat hunched at a steel table in the visitation room, his attention focused on a single spot on the plain white wall. His gaze didn't shift when a guard escorted his father into the room. Gabriel sat across from him, his posture perfect while the guard attached his cuffs to a metal loop on the table. The clinking of metal on metal made Adrien wince, and though his expression was calm, neutral, his tense shoulders and restless fingers betrayed his true feelings: he would throw his chair in rage had it not been bolted to the floor like the rest of the furniture. They sat in silence for a full minute before Gabriel sighed.

"We both know why you are here, Adrien." His voice was as cold and even as it ever was, a detail not lost on his son. "A question you want...no, _need_ answered."

"Why?" he growled. He still had not looked at his father.

Gabriel stared pointedly at his son. "It all started with a book. The very same book you took from my private safe." Adrien flinched at the accusation, yet kept his eyes averted. "Security cameras, if you must know, but I digress. That book, which took substantial time to translate, described the unlimited power to be gained from the Miraculous of Creation and Destruction. Power I could use to bring your mother back to life."

Adrien's eyes almost shot to Gabriel, but he forced them away, instead his hands wrung together, his jaw tightened at her mention. "She's not dead. She went missing..."

"During a ski trip in the Alps, yes. That was the story I gave the authorities...and you." Gabriel leaned his elbows on the table, laced her fingers together, and sighed. "It's time you learned the truth, son.

"The life Felice led was not one of her choosing. Her friends, her wardrobe, her career path, all chosen for her. She was a teen model, much like you, forced to smile for the camera, to put on a mask of obedience and compliance. She lied daily. Lied about her interests, her dreams for the future, even such insignificant subjects as favorite music or fashion designers." He chuckled. "She would have much rather worn torn leggings and denim than Chanel or Dior. She sought an outlet, a release from her stifling life, and she was given one: a Miraculous."

Adrien finally found it in him to meet his father's gaze; crazed, disbelieving green meeting steely gray. "A Mirac.."

"She found freedom as Paon," Gabriel interrupted. _Paon,_ Adrien thought. _Peacock._ He recalled seeing a peacock pin or brooch in his father's safe. "She lived to be a hero, she lived to protect people, her home. She just...lived. As much as I fancied Felice, I thought a model well beyond the reach of a starving art student. But Paon..." Gabriel smiled for the first time in several days. "She captured my heart from the first moment we met. And I had captured hers, apparently. She saved me from being struck by a vehicle one day, and the look in her eyes told me she was smitten.

"We saw each other many times over the next several months, a rather unorthodox courtship. But she told me she would rather have me fall in love with that side of her, what she called her 'true self'." _Sounds familiar,_ Adrien mused. "When she finally trusted me with her identity, I was delighted to see Felice beneath her mask. We, of course, did not date immediately in order to divert suspicions. An affluent fashionista dating a poor student out of the blue?" He shook his head.

"Years passed and she gave me her hand in marriage. A year and a half after that, she blessed me with a son. When we discovered she was pregnant, I made her promise to leave Paon behind, to put her family first. And she kept to her word..." Gabriel's smile faded. "At least for the first few years. When you were about ten, I noticed her 'late night outings' with her friends lasted later and later each week. Blurry photos of a figure in blue, green, and teal in various newspapers and on the internet. She swore she had given her Miraculous to another, but your seemingly random sneezing suggested otherwise." Adrien nodded. His feather allergy. "One night, I had stayed up late sketching, but decided to go to bed early. I came up to our room...to see Paon climbing in our window." He threaded his fingers through his hair. "I snapped. I became furious, accusing her of abandoning her family to live her dangerous double life. She claimed she couldn't turn her back on the hero inside her. That she had a duty to Paris.

"She flew back out the window, and...that was the last time I ever saw her. Shortly after, I realized I had pushed away the woman I loved for being who she wanted to be. I had Mr. Gorille drive me around the city looking for her. Her..." His voice cracked. A single tear traced its way down his cheek. "Her kwami, Pann, found us first. Felice was in an alley..." This time, he choked back a sob. More tears trailed down his face. "It wasn't a supervillain, or a monster, or..." he laughed in spite of himself, "a horde of ninjas, as was her fear. It was some lowly purse-snatcher with a gun." He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The last words I ever spoke to her were in anger."

The pair sat in silence for several minutes. Adrien need that silence to process everything. His mother, a superhero? How had he never known this? How was this not a bigger deal in the city's history? Given the timeline, she was active when things like Facebook, Twitter, and camera phones were still relatively new technology, so it made sense there were few documented appearances. But not only was she a superhero, but she was...dead? Yes, Adrien had wanted closure, but not like this.

Gabriel finally composed himself and continued his story. "It took time to buy the silence of the police, the coroner, my employees. We fabricated the ski trip story to protect her identity. Afterwards, I poured myself into my work to distract myself. I filled your schedule thinking you needed the same diversions, but also because I saw so much of your mother in you, I feared you would follow a similar path." He met his son's eyes. "I didn't want to lose you as well, so I shut you away from the world. I neglected you, abandoned you, and in an attempt to keep you from Felice's fate, it seems I drove you closer to it."

Adrien's poker face, developed over three years of Alya's interviews and probing questions, not to mention suspicion from his father and friends, nearly broke. Did he know? _How_ did he know? His right thumb picked at his ring, and he felt Plagg squirm in his shirt. Wait...how long had he known? And by extension, how long had _Hawkmoth_ known?

If Gabriel noticed Adrien's discomfort, he made no indication. "I know my word is meaningless to you Adrien, after all I have done, but I do apologize. I drove your mother away that night. I am the reason she is dead. I am the reason you have spent the past seven years without either of your parents. I...wanted to fix things. I wanted to bring us back together. So, to answer your question: I wanted to apologize for my cruelty. I wanted to rebuild the family I had torn apart due to my anger and selfishness. I wanted to rectify my mistakes." He shook his head and lowered his eyes to the table. "All of this because I fell in love with a superhero." He smirked. "A trait that seems to run in the family."

The poker face held, but barely. "I-I've never been discreet regarding my crush on Ladybug."

"Looking back on it, I can't believe I never saw it before. Your increasing fatigue, unexplained absences from your various lessons," Gabriel pointed, "the ring on your finger, so similar to a design in an old book I read." A crack in the poker face. Gabriel's knowing eyes looked up. "The look on Chat Noir's face when he saw me under Hawkmoth's mask, the look on _your_ face..."

He knew. He knew Adrien was Chat Noir. "H-how..." Adrien croaked. He swallowed. "How long?"

"I had my suspicions for some time. It started when I akumatized that Grimault fellow and I got a closer look at Chat Noir's ring. Then, when I saw _your_ ring that same day...I denied it at first. I never wanted to think I was endangering my own son. Then, after careful review of security camera footage..." Adrien's face twitched into a sneer. "You were not nearly as careful as you thought, son."

Gabriel sat back in his chair and attempted to cross his arms over his chest. The chains about his wrists met their limit, so he contented himself with folding his hand together on the table. "At that point, I could deny it no further. I considered pulling you out of school, but I debated whether it would be more beneficial to have easier access to your Miraculous, or to keep my enemy at a distance."

Adrien ground his teeth together. "Is that what you thought of me? Your...your enemy?" His fist tightened, the skin as white as his ring. "I'm your son, your _goddamn son!"_ He roared the last words and punctuated the sentence by bringing his fist down on the table.

Gabriel's eyes widened, but only slightly. "Adrien, I'm sorry. That came out wro..."

"Do you have any idea how much misery you've caused me? You've turned my friends into monsters! Destroyed Paris, my home! You tried to kill me and..." Adrien's blood ran cold. Ladybug. The rip in her suit, just over her heart. "You tried to kill her," he breathed. "You _knew_ I was Chat Noir and you...you still tried to kill the woman I love."

"Adrien..."

He stood abruptly, his back to his father, his face as unreadable as it had been the previous night. "You said I've spent the last seven years without parents. Good to know nothing's changed." He strode to the door, his movements stiff, and hit the button next to the door to call a guard.

"Adrien," Gabriel pleaded. "You and Ladybug can still bring your mother back. You don't have to be alone."

Adrien paused, then said in a low, even tone reminiscent of his father's. "I'm not alone. Nino is my brother. Chloé is my sister. Alya and Marinette are my best friends. And Ladybug..." He fought to prevent his voice from cracking. "She is my Paon. And I hope the girl under that mask is half as amazing as my mother was." He turned back to his fa...Gabriel, meeting his eyes for the last time. "We won't bring her back; the dead should stay dead. And _you_ don't deserve to apologize." The door to the visitation room opened and an officer asked if Adrien was ready to leave. He nodded, his eyes never leaving Gabriel, and he spoke the last words he would ever say to the man.

"You don't deserve closure."


	3. Confrontations and Confessions

Three years since she first donned her mask. Three years since she was told to never reveal who she was underneath. Sixteen months since her best friend discovered her identity. A year since she promised to reveal herself to the man she supposedly loved. Two days since she betrayed him.

Today.

Never before had a word twisted Marinette's guts around in such a manner. Today. Today was the day she would reveal her identity to Chat Noir. Today, Marinette and Ladybug would become one in his eyes. The idea of bringing the two sides of her life together, sides she had kept separate for so long, put butterflies in her stomach. She scoffed at the more than appropriate image. Butterflies were the exact reason she lived two lives. The reason she lied to her friends and family daily. The reason she had Chat Noir in her life.

She stood at her window, eyes on the setting sun, her arms wrapped around her midriff. The moment it disappeared over the rooftops, she would meet Chat at the Eiffel Tower. Meet him...but could she actually reveal her identity? Could she just explain that she no longer loved him, then take off the earrings and become another face in the crowd? Did he not deserve to know the name of the woman who would inevitably break his heart? Her own heart ached at the thought of leaving him without a name and a face. Leaving him alone. But the ache only confused her further. If she didn't truly love him, then why did it hurt? Why did she care?

"What do I do, Tikki?"

"Follow your heart," the kwami piped up from her desk.

"But my heart is leading me somewhere I'm not sure Chat can follow. I...still love Adrien. But I also love Chat." She squeezed her eyes shut. "This should be simple! Chat Noir loves me! Not just Ladybug anymore, but he loves _me!_ That's exactly what I wanted from Adrien, and..." She brought her fingers to her lips. "That's what I got. He...he _wanted_ to kiss me, Tikki. He pulled me closer, he was betraying his girlfriend, just as I betrayed Chat, but Adrien still wanted to kiss me." She turned to her tiny friend. "Why?"

Tikki swallowed a mouthful of cookie and sighed. "Adrien's worried his girlfriend will hate him if she finds out his father was Hawkmoth. When you kissed him, you showed him that you could love him despite that." Tikki's eyes were downcast. "He's torn. Does he stay with a girl who might love him, or give himself to a girl who does?"

Marinette cast her gaze back out her window. She was in a similar predicament, torn between loving two people. If Adrien still loves Ladybug, then that means he has feelings for both sides of her, just as she always wanted. So, does she give in to what she's wanted for years, or does she stay with the kitten who fought for her heart?

The orange remnants of the sun glowed over the rooftops. Sunset. A calm washed over the girl. The calm before the storm? That moment of serenity before being ushered to the gallows?

Today.

It would all end today.

"Tikki, Spots On."

(#)

Three years since he was so sure he had found the one. Two years since he came upon her, heartbroken and in tears because of some shallow jerk. Eighteen months since she found it in her heart to love a mangy alley cat like him. Two days since he threw it all away for his best friend.

The past few days were torture. Adrien seemed to shut himself off from everyone. He ignored calls from Nino, refused to interact with Nathalie, and didn't leave his room except to eat and speak with the police. Not even rushing about the city as Chat Noir could bring him joy like it used to. For the first time ever his ring felt heavy, his mask itched, he wanted nothing to do with his feline alter-ego. But he had to don the mask one last time. The sun had set, and his Lady awaited him.

"Plagg, Claws..."

"Adrien." The teen turned to the small black blob perched atop a half-eaten wheel of cheddar. "Tikki wouldn't choose someone who hates easy. It's like that potty-mouthed umbrella girl said: you're a good, honest kid, and Ladybug will see that."

Adrien raised a brow. "You're not usually so supportive."

"Don't get me wrong." Plagg popped another hunk of cheese into his mouth. "I just want this angsty song and dance to end." Adrien smiled. "That and I want you two to stop dry-humping each other in the suits."

Adrien chuckled a little to himself. "There's the Plagg I know."

The kwami turned so Adrien couldn't see the smile on his tiny face. "Just get out there, kid."

The metallic echo of his staff against roof tile was all he had to distract him from the roiling sea between his ears. Despite Plagg's words, he still didn't know what to think, what to do, where to start with sorting out his emotional baggage. He thought going to see his fa...Gabriel and getting answers would give him a sense of closure, but it only left him angry and bitter, longing for comfort that only Ladybug could provide. Well, there _was_ someone else... _no!_ He wasn't going to think of Marinette that way. The kiss meant nothing. He was just lonely and scared, and...she'd taken the time to comfort him. Those beautiful blue eyes, so reminiscent of Ladybug's, were filled with determination and love, not fear. Her no-nonsense, take-charge pulled him out of his depressed rut. Her infectious smile, just like his mother's, made him...

More so than his conversation with Gabriel, that kiss tortured him. He betrayed Ladybug. The woman he fell in love with practically at first sight. The woman Chat Noir had won over without the flirting, the puns, the pointless bravado. But Adrien had earned Marinette's love without any of that. She fell for his kindness, his sincerity, and proved she could love him despite who his father was. Hell, at this point, it wasn't about Hawkmoth anymore. It was about the kiss. Why did he do that? Why had he kissed her back? Did he love her?

No, that wasn't possible. He barely knew her. Except, that wasn't quite true. Her intensity and passion during the Mecha Strike tournament. Her creativity and cleverness with her derby hat design. Everything he admired in Ladybug he saw in Marinette. Had he had a small crush in Marinette this whole time? Why else would Chat Noir have gone swimming in the Seine, chasing after a lost umbrella? Why else would he want to kiss her? Surely not just because of her kindness. Not because she still loved him when the rest of Paris hated and feared him. But because...in some part of his mind, he...

A new image surged upwards in his mind. His Lady stood outlined by the sunset. She turned to him, that beautiful smile across her lips. She called out his name, took his hand, and pulled him into a kiss. Her lips felt so comfortable and familiar on his, too familiar, almost. They had not kissed since before they fought Hawkmoth, but it still seemed like he had felt these lips since then. She pulled away, looked up at him with light of day's end dancing in her eyes, and reached up to her mask. She swiped her hands across it, and when the pink lights disappeared...

He stopped on a rooftop and gazed wide-eyed into the sunset, realization setting in.

He wanted Marinette to be Ladybug.

It made sense. They were so similar. Their attitudes, their passion, their eyes, their smiles. He could envision Marinette beneath that mask so clear, it consumed him. It was all he wanted. But on the other hand, did he just want this so he could soothe his guilt? He cheated on Ladybug and his first reaction is to picture the other woman in place of his Lady? Chat raked his claws across his scalp. He was hopeless. If Ladybug didn't hate him because of Gabriel, she would hate him for imagining her as the other woman he lo...loved.

He loved Marinette.

He loved Ladybug.

He wanted both, so he wanted them to be the same person.

Chat bit his tongue and continued on his trek across the city. He was the embodiment of misfortune. He was bad luck. There was no way his luck would change like that just because he _wanted_ something. The moment he took his mask off and confessed his mistakes to Ladybug, he would lose her. But it was still something he needed to do.

She deserved closure, even if he didn't.

He vaulted onward, and when he touched down on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, his Lady was waiting for him. She stood outlined by the sunset, just like in his fantasy, but unlike said fantasy, when she heard him approach and turned to meet him, she did not smile. Her tear-stricken eyes met his, and they both knew something was wrong.

" _Chaton,_ " she sighed.

"My Lady," he choked.

"We need to talk," they spoke in chorus.

They both awkwardly shuffled on their feet. Ladybug, who forced a smile, was the first to speak. "Y-you first."

Chat swallowed. How did he start? How did he begin the march toward the end of his relationship with her? Well, with the obvious. "My Lady, I...I'm scared."

Her smile may have been forced, but her look of surprise wasn't. "Scared? Of what?"

Here it goes. "I...I'm afraid that when I reveal my identity to you, I'll lose you." Before she could respond, he continued. "It's not just who I am, but what I've done. I've...made mistakes, stupid mistakes that I'm not sure you could forgive. I almost couldn't face you tonight..."

"Chat, I...I love you," she sighed, though her tone sounded forced. "You're my partner. You can tell me anything, and it won't change the way I feel about you."

He tore his eyes away from hers. "Don't be so sure," he muttered. He turned to face the last embers of the day, and asked, "Do you remember when we defeated Haw...Hawkmoth, and you wondered what was going through Adrien's mind?" Ladybug nodded, unsure of how Chat had heard her soft whispers. "Let me tell you."

He spoke even and steady at first. "He blames himself. He thinks maybe there were hints he may have missed if he'd just been around the house more instead of trying to escape. Maybe there were signs, odd phrasing, unexplained disappearances, if he had just paid attention." He chuckled and turned his eyes to the pinpricks of starlight piercing the veil of night one by one. He couldn't see the shocked look on Ladybug's face, and for that he was thankful. "Maybe he _did_ see the signs, but he just ignored them," his voice cracked. His poker face was failing. "Because what kid wants to think his father's a supervillain? What kid want to think his father's been trying to...trying...to..."

He shattered. He roared, all pretense dropped. " _Been trying to kill me for the past three years!"_ He drove his fistinto the metal railing at the edge of the deck. "Trying to kill _us!_ And he knew." Chat's arms dropped dead at his sides. "He knew his son was Chat Noir, and he still..."

"Adrien?" Ladybug spoke his real name, but he barely heard her.

"I'm sorry, Ladybug," he wept. "I'm so sorry. I could have stopped him. I could have..."

Ladybug stepped forward and reached out to him. "Are you...are you r-really Adrien?" she whispered.

Chat lifted his head. He brought his right hand to the side of his mask and swiped two fingers across it. The mask dissolved in a flash of green light, leaving the face of Adrien Agreste behind, his eyes no longer feline. Ladybug's hands covered her mouth, her eyes bulging. Adrien let out a breath. It was just as he feared. Seeing his face sealed it; he had lost her.

"I'm sorry, my Lady. I'm sorry for everything, and..." 

Ladybug's lips against his silenced him, but did not stop his tears. She broke the kiss and wrapped her arms around him. Why was she doing this when he clearly didn't deserve it? "Shut up, Adrien," she hushed. "You're not at fault. The magic of his Miraculous prevented you from seeing who he was, so hints or not, you still wouldn't have known. I don't blame you for anything that's happened." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "You said I'd leave you when I found out who you are. Well, this is who you are: you're the kindest, gentlest soul I've ever met. You're honest, loyal, and best of all–" _Why do her words sound so familiar?_ "–you're my partner, and the love of my life. You are a good person." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "And don't you _dare_ let anyone tell you otherwise."

Okay, now _that_ sounded familiar. Where had he...ah. Marinette. He pulled one of her hands to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "It's not just who I am, my Lady. I...I was so worried over how you would react to this that I..." He sighed. "There's this girl who's had a crush on me for years, and a few days ago, she...she kissed me."

"And you kissed her back," Ladybug responded.

Adrien nodded. "I was worried you'd leave me after you found out who my father was, but she...but Marinette proved she still loved me despite that and..." More tears streamed from his eyes. "I betrayed you. It was a stupid moment of weakness and..." He pulled away from her and shrugged. "And the worst part is, in my guilt, I started imaging you _were_ Marinette."

A confused smile played on Ladybug's lips. "Wait, you want me to be this girl? Marinette, you said?"

"It's stupid, I know. Stupid, and selfish, and..."

"Why?" Adrien looked up at her, uncertainty clouded his features. "Why do you want me to be Marinette?"

He dropped his head and shrugged. "Like I said, it's selfish. If you're Marinette, then I...I don't have to feel guilty about loving two people."

Her smile brightened, though Adrien couldn't see it. "You love her?"

Adrien shook his head. "I think it's because she reminds me so much of you." He turned, leaned against the railing, and gazed out on the city. "She's...amazing. Talented, creative, brave, loyal." He grinned. "I think I've been fascinated with her since we met. Like, maybe if I'd met her before you, I might..." He clawed at his scalp and growled. "Why am I so _stupid_? I'm standing in front of the girl I love confessing my feelings for another girl! And now you probably..."

"Adrien," she interrupted. "I have a confession of my own." Her partner lifted his confused eyes to her, and she tried to hide her smile. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and wrung her hands together. "Remember...the guy I told you I had a crush on? The guy who chose Ladybug over the real me?" He nodded. "Well, I ran into him a few days ago." She averted her gaze, trying to look as embarrassed as possible. "He was really depressed, had a huge falling out with his dad, so we talked for a while, and I..."

Adrien's expression darkened. "You love him again." It wasn't a question.

She shrugged. "I don't think I ever stopped." She smiled softly and joined her hands behind her back. "It's crazy how I realized I still had feelings for him. Somehow, we recreated the exact moment I fell in love with him the first time. I was caught in the rain and I'd just lost my umbrella." Wait. "After he apologized for 'griping about his problems' as he put it, he offered me his." _Wait._ "He gave me the same smile he did on his second day of school, back when we were just kids." _**Wait.**_ "And I couldn't stop myself when I..." She turned back to Adrien's shocked and disbelieving gaze. "I kissed him."

Adrien forgot how to breathe for a moment. He staggered closer to Ladybug and rested a hand against her cheek. "No," he whispered. "You...you can't be..."

Ladybug rested her own hand against his and smiled wider. "Why can't I?"

The man shook his head. "Because I'm not that lucky."

"I thought the same thing. I was torn between loving Adrien and Chat Noir, and just like you, some part of me wanted them to be one and the same. I thought not even I could be that lucky, but..." She brought her fingertips to her brow and swiped them outward. Her mask disappeared in a flurry of pink lights...and Marinette looked up at Adrien with fresh tears streaming down her face. "It looks like I'm lucky enough for both of us."

A choked cry like the fusion of a laugh and a sob escaped him. His brain could barely process what he clearly saw before him. It all rushed through his mind, everything he knew and loved about Ladybug and Marinette. The same eyes. The same smile. The same laugh, passion, bravery, yet he refused to accept it. His hand shook as he brushed his thumb across her cheek, up until recently concealed beneath her mask, a part of her face he thought he would never touch. _'My Lady...my Princess...the same...no. It's a dream. A delusion. A hyper-realistic fantasy created by my grief and guilt to prevent my mind from falling apart. Yeah, that's it, except why do her lips feel so real oh god she's kissing me.'_

The kiss on the Pont des Arts a few days ago would have popped up in Adrien's mind had he any capacity for coherent thought in that moment. Marinette stood on her toes, her hands curved along his jaw. Her lips settled on his, the former model tense and at a complete loss. But, just like on the bridge, Adrien soon warmed up to the kiss. His body relaxed and he melted into her. One hand slid across her face, fingers threaded through her hair. The other slipped over her hips, pushed on her lower back, and pulled her closer. This time, she didn't stop. She didn't push him away. They simply settled into each other's arms and experienced each other, he the taste and scent of vanilla and cinnamon, and her coffee and sweat. Energy and passion sparked between them, stronger and more intense than before, because all confusion and doubt were gone.

Which one broke the kiss first was anyone's guess, but the pair held each other, foreheads touching, both smiling and laughing and crying.

"Marinette," Adrien murmured. "My Lady, my Marinette."

"My silly kitten," Marinette giggled.

"Behind me the whole time."

"Right in front of me..."

"We're so dumb."

"Yeah," Marinette chuckled. "Took us forever to–" she traced a finger between a few spots on her suit "–connect the dots."

Adrien froze. Did she...? A smile crept up on him and he howled with laughter. "A _spot pun_? My Lady! I didn't know you had it in you!"

She blushed. "Well, I had to say something before you said..."

"'The cat's out of the bag'?"

"Ohmigod I hate you," she grumbled, but still couldn't fight the fit of laughter behind her lips.

Adrien smirked. "No you don't. You _loooooove_ me," he sang. A clawed finger wiped a few tears from her face. "And I love you, my Lady."

The air between them stilled. Marinette locked her eyes on his. She licked her lips and whispered, "Say it again, Adrien. Say _my_ name."

Adrien stepped closer to her and tried his damnedest to recreate the same smile she'd fallen in love with. "I love you, Marinette."

He must have succeeded. If he thought he couldn't be any more in love with her, the glow in her eyes and the smile on her trembling lips proved him unequivocally wrong. One of her hands slipped into his hair, around to the back of his head, and she pulled his lips into hers. It was a quick, gentle kiss, quite different the desperate, fiery kiss from earlier.

When it broke, Marinette beamed up at her partner. "I love you too, Adrien. I always have."

Adrien started to smile, but his face slowly fell. "Wait, if you've always loved me, then...the guy who chose Ladybug over you was..."

She brushed a hand through his hair. "It's okay, Adrien. Maybe fate didn't take us on the path we wanted, but it led us to the destination we wanted."

He grinned, the light of the rising moon glinted in his eyes. "What did I do to deserve a woman like you?"

Marinette smiled herself. "Just being you, _chaton._ "


	4. Epilogue

Three years since one fell in love with a superhero. Three years since the other fell in love with a model. Three days since their feelings for each other became muddled. Fifteen hours since they truly and completely fell in love with each other.

Adrien and Marinette walked arm in arm along the edge of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower to their left, the Trocadero to their right across the river. They had stopped for smoothies that morning and spent the day simply walking and talking. Adrien had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder that he carried on the side opposite Marinette. He made it clear she wasn't allowed anywhere near it. At least, not yet.

"Seriously? We've been _that close_ transforming before?"

"I know, right?" Adrien sipped up the last of his smoothie and deftly tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash can. "It always amazed me how we always seemed to show up at the same time." He chuckled. "Just like Horrificator."

"Oh yeah, I never really questioned how Chat got past the giant goo cocoon."

" _Goo_ coon?"

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do I have to deal with your puns all the time now?"

A big Chat Noir grin. "You love it."

She shook her smoothie cup at him and pouted. "No. I'm mad you. You tried to set me up with Nino _._ "

Adrien waved his hands. "Hey! It worked out in the end! He's a much better match with Alya, right?"

Marinette considered this. "You're right. In a weird way, I'm responsible for whatever children they have." She sucked on her straw for a second. "They better name a kid after me."

"And one after Uncle Adrien."

"Yeah," Marinette giggled. "Speaking of Alya, she's gonna flip when she finds out..." She paused. "Oh, shit. Adrien, uh..."

"What is it, bugaboo?"

She looked up at him, wincing. "Alya...knows I'm Ladybug."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Why does that mat..." His eyes widened. "Oh. _Oh._ "

"Yeah," she dragged out. "Once I tell her we're together, she's gonna know you're..."

Adrien shrugged and smiled. "That wouldn't be so bad. It's just Alya. And considering I've never seen anything about your identity on the blog, I know she can keep a secret. Worst case scenario, she blabs to Nino and I...I..." The smile faded. "I haven't spoken to Nino in days."

Marinette pulled him closer. "He's probably worried about you. I'm sure a lot of people are. Especially considering..." She looked up at him. "Do you ever want to talk about it? What happened with your fa..." She received cutting looked from Adrien. "Uh, Gabriel?"

They walked in silence for a minute. Then, "Maybe someday. Maybe I'll talk about it. I just have a lot of emotional baggage to sort through."

"Well, just let us know and we'll help you sort." He looked down at her, surprised, and she smiled. "I love you, _chaton_ , and so do Nino and Alya. Whenever you want to talk, we'll be there for you."

His smile struggled to return, but return it did. "Thank you. I don't deserve it..."

"Shut up yes you do." She smacked him on the chest.

Now his smile didn't have to fight. "...but thank you anyways. And in a show of gratitude for the whole 'dealing with my idiot self' thing..." He swung the duffel bag of his shoulder and took a knee to unzip it. From beside a sleeping Plagg and Tikki he pulled a plain black umbrella, but Marinette instantly recognized the 'AA' scratched into the handle.

"Is this...?" Her eyes flashed.

"Yeah." Adrien gave his biggest Cheshire grin. "Chat Noir saw this pretty little princess lose it in the storm a few days ago. He fished it out of the water because he just _had_ to get it back to her."

"Oh, how sweet he is!" He could practically taste the sarcasm on her words. She took the umbrella from him and spun it in her hands. "Be sure to thank him for me."

"What, you're not going to tell him yourself?"

She smirked. "I would, but those superheroes are just so gosh-darned difficult to find! I simply don't know _how_ Alya can keep up with those two!"

"Well, _purr_ -incess," Adrien hummed, "I have it on good authority that Chat Noir can be found, in his civilian identity no less, at _La Belle Rouge_ tomorrow night meeting his Lady for an exquisite dinner."

Marinette pursed her lips against a giggle. ' _So that's his game.'_ "And you know this how?"

His smile grew. "I have my ways."

Marinette stepped in front of him and looked up into his gorgeous green eyes. "So, if I wanted to catch Chat Noir at _La Belle Rouge,_ what time should I be there?"

"Seven?"

She smiled. "It's a date."

He brushed a strand of hair from her face and stroked the back of his hand against her cheek. "I love you, Marinette."

She held a knuckle to her mouth to hold back the giggles, but failed. "I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing that."

Adrien tried to look pathetic and hurt, but in the fight against pout and smile, the smile won. "Not exactly the response I was hoping for, princess."

"Then how abou this?" She pushed her hands up his chest, over his shoulder, and draped her arms around his neck. "I love you too, Adrien."

She pushed herself up and brought her lips against his in what they both realized was their first kiss as Adrien and Marinette. The people walking around them on the sidewalk saw nothing more than a couple in love. But the two in the passionate embrace understood far more. They saw years of trust. Pain. Love. Heartache. Discovery. Understanding. Growth.

Closure.


End file.
